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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
medium-paced
Thanks, Sourcebooks Fire, for the arc!
I’ve decided I’m a big fan of vampire books in the 1920s. Maybe it started with my love of The Originals and all the flashbacks to that era on the TV show? THIS RAVENOUS FATE by Hayley Dennings is a fantasy set in Jazz Age Harlem, and it’s the humans vs. the vampires, aka reapers. I always love when an author finds a new name for fangtastic beasts. Elise Saint, the heir to one of the strongest human organizations, is forced to work with Layla Quinn, a reaper with a vendetta against the Saints and a past with Elise.
It took me a bit to get into the story. It wasn’t until Layla and Elise were forced to work together that I really started to enjoy it. There were a couple of unnecessary characters unless they will play an essential role in the next book. Otherwise, their interactions with Elise and/or Layla were just filler to me. Then there were the people I wish we had more time with, and it was just like sprinkles of time, so I hope they appear more in the next book.
Would I reread this? Yes. I want to try it on audio because I think it would be an awesome listen. Am I excited for the final book in the duology? Yes! At first, I thought this was going to be a standalone and cleaned up all nicely, which I wasn’t really feeling. Then, the last few chapters changed things up and left me with an excellent cliffhanger that excited me for book two!
Content warnings: (per the author in the book) This book includes scenarios involving emotional abuse, obsessive compulsive disorder, anxiety, suicidal ideation, violence, murder, and mentions of racism and a race massacre.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Murder
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭒ ⭒
3.5 stars
♰ black queer characters?? Sign me tf upppppp
╰┈➤ The audiobook was so good and captivating!
It was my first audiobook which I was able to listen to whole heartedly. I tried an audiobook once and realized that I kept on listening to the same sentence over and over again, struggling to understand. After that I decided audiobooks weren’t for me. But the narrator in this book did a very good job. I fell in love instantly
╰┈➤ The characters were so unique, especially Layla. I found her very compelling and funny. She was easily one of my favorites.
₰ I wasn’t a fan of Elise. I found her bland and a whiny, privileged brat, although I loved how her trauma was handled perfectly.
₰ I loved Jamie and Mae so much and lived for their small appearances
╰┈➤ As for the relationship between Layla and Elise, it started out so good, but by the end, all the chemistry I felt in the beginning was gone. Especially after I got to know the reason for their hate? The only person I could sympathize with was Layla. She basically trusted her friend, and her friend, whether unconsciously or not, led to the demise of her parents and turned Layla into a vampire. Because of that, Layla harbored hate against her (dare I say rightfully so) and then attacked her. When Layla was spilling her heart out, Elise managed to make it about herself and her petty love confession? I’m sorry, but that didn’t sit right with me at all.
╰┈➤ It got to a time Layla started having chemistry with her fangs than Elise. Dare I say I was going hard for she and Mae than I was with Layla and Elise??
╰┈➤ I liked how it also emphasized race and didn’t completely leave it out. That speech Layla gave about oppression ate. It was handled in a perfect way.
Overall, the book was good, a promising start. I can’t wait to read the next book!!!
I would like to thank NetGalley and the author for providing me with an eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars
♰ black queer characters?? Sign me tf upppppp
╰┈➤ The audiobook was so good and captivating!
It was my first audiobook which I was able to listen to whole heartedly. I tried an audiobook once and realized that I kept on listening to the same sentence over and over again, struggling to understand. After that I decided audiobooks weren’t for me. But the narrator in this book did a very good job. I fell in love instantly
╰┈➤ The characters were so unique, especially Layla. I found her very compelling and funny. She was easily one of my favorites.
₰ I wasn’t a fan of Elise. I found her bland and a whiny, privileged brat, although I loved how her trauma was handled perfectly.
₰ I loved Jamie and Mae so much and lived for their small appearances
╰┈➤ As for the relationship between Layla and Elise, it started out so good, but by the end, all the chemistry I felt in the beginning was gone. Especially after I got to know the reason for their hate? The only person I could sympathize with was Layla. She basically trusted her friend, and her friend, whether unconsciously or not, led to the demise of her parents and turned Layla into a vampire. Because of that, Layla harbored hate against her (dare I say rightfully so) and then attacked her. When Layla was spilling her heart out, Elise managed to make it about herself and her petty love confession? I’m sorry, but that didn’t sit right with me at all.
╰┈➤ It got to a time Layla started having chemistry with her fangs than Elise. Dare I say I was going hard for she and Mae than I was with Layla and Elise??
╰┈➤ I liked how it also emphasized race and didn’t completely leave it out. That speech Layla gave about oppression ate. It was handled in a perfect way.
Overall, the book was good, a promising start. I can’t wait to read the next book!!!
I would like to thank NetGalley and the author for providing me with an eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
dark
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I came across this author on instagram and was so excited when I was approved for an ARC of This Ravenous Fate. The book starts off with a lot of excitement, but unfortunately the pacing slows way down at about 25%. I found it hard to be excited to get back to reading this book. Usually when I’m enjoying a book, I pick it up as often as I can but that was not the case this time. I really enjoyed Elise and Layla’s characters, but felt like their backstory wasn’t delivered early enough to make their relationship/interactions interesting. Most of the other characters felt sort of lack luster for me, their motives and decisions were hard to follow. So much happened in the last 5-10% of the book that it felt like the book ended in the middle of the book. It did not feel as if the conflicts were resolved and more problems were created. Overall, I enjoyed the book and found the premise of the book to be very intriguing. The pacing was my main issue because there were too many long stretches where it felt like nothing important was happening.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read an ARC of This Ravenous Fate!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read an ARC of This Ravenous Fate!
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was an interesting take on vampires, or Reapers, as this book calls them. I enjoyed that it involved racial relations and elements of blackness and black culture intersecting with the reaper experience. Having two cultures that were outcast juxtaposed with one another really added a layer of thought and intrigue. It was unique to read about two female protagonist and the will they won’t they romance surrounding their complicated relationship. The story read a lot like a mystery novel with elements of film noir. I can definitely see a book 2 on the way. I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys vampire novels and wants a change of pace.